{"id":32519,"date":"2024-03-27T21:21:53","date_gmt":"2024-03-28T04:21:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=32519"},"modified":"2024-03-27T21:21:54","modified_gmt":"2024-03-28T04:21:54","slug":"spring-with-flowers-and-poisons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2024\/03\/27\/spring-with-flowers-and-poisons\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring with flowers and\u00a0poisons"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Posted on March 26, 2024<\/a> by SF Forest Alliance<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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It\u2019s that time of the year! San Francisco smiles with wildflowers. The yellow oxalis is the harbinger of spring.<\/p>\n\n\n

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It\u2019s also the time that we find toxic pesticides beings sprayed in \u201cNatural Resource Areas\u201d \u2013 typically Triclopyr, though we don\u2019t actually know which ones are being used here. This is Corona Heights above the Randall Museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is also from Corona Heights, east side by the fence circling the hill.<\/p>\n\n\n

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GLEN CANYON, TOO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These pictures are from Glen Canyon, at the Christopher Park entrance. They warn of the usage of Vastlan, which has triclopyr as the active ingredient.<\/p>\n\n\n

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This one\u2019s also from Glen Canyon, at the Amber street entrance. It also warns of the use of Vastlan, i.e. triclopyr.<\/p>\n\n\n

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WHAT\u2019S WRONG WITH TRICLOPYR?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Triclopyr is one of the most toxic pesticides used by San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, and it\u2019s used almost exclusively in the so-called \u201cNatural Resource Areas.\u201d For over a decade, it was used as Garlon, classified as a Tier 1 (most hazardous) pesticide; then in 2019, with a new formulation Vastlan, it was reclassified as Tier II and is being used even more broadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is limited non-corporate research on triclopyr (the active ingredient in Garlon). The companies making these products don\u2019t always identify or publicize their dangers. In 2003, Dow was fined for misleading the public about the danger of one of its products<\/a>. More recently, Monsanto may have interfered<\/a> with the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s assessment of Roundup. The main source of information is the chapter on Triclopyr in the Marin Municipal Water District Report on herbicides. (You can read that here as a PDF: Chap4_Triclopyr_8_27_08<\/a> . It\u2019s technically written. Here is another paper that is more accessible for the layperson: Caroline Cox Triclopyr 2000<\/a> )<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, when looking at herbicides, researchers start by looking at Acute Toxicity \u2013 how much would it take to kill or injure you immediately. Separately, they look at Chronic Toxicity \u2013 a longer-term impact. What should also be followed, but often isn\u2019t, is the long-term effects of low-level exposure. This is an issue with Garlon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What stands out when attempting to research Garlon is how much is not known, particularly about the effects of repeated low-level exposure. There simply isn\u2019t that much research out there, and few human studies. \u201cAlthough triclopyr has been registered in the US since 1979, there are still very few studies on triclopyr that are not part of the EPA registration process.\u201d Most of the research that exists is on Garlon 4. What was used on Twin Peaks was Garlon 4 Ultra \u2013 similar but not mixed in kerosene. It was mixed in a less flammable but apparently equally toxic methylated seed oil. Nowadays, what is used is Vastlan, which still has triclopyr as its active ingredient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is known about triclopyr makes uncomfortable reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n